Ali's Got Game

Shit Gamers Guys Say

2012-02-01T12:07:00.012-05:00

I know what you're thinking, and yes, that's me, with the pink mustache.. Within the past few months, a meme known as Shit Girls Say has taken the web by storm. This has snowballed into a recent trend of Shit ___s Say videos.

This got many of us in the Frag Doll's Sisterhood thinking.. Why don't we make a video? Most of us are more than familiar with being smack talked over XBL by now - this typically by that of young pubescent boys - so we figured we'd have our fun in muse of this.

So without further adieu, Shit Gamer Guys Say:

I like to think of myself as the pink haired Doctor Zhivago. Check out the Frag Doll's Website for more videos and news regarding the sisterhood. Also, relevant to your interests if you enjoyed this video, is the website "Fat, Ugly, or Slutty", which was founded by several of the girls in my class, and plays off of the idea that according to 75% of the men encountered while gaming, if you're a gamer chick, chances are you're either fat, ugly or slutty. Some of the posts there are grade A hilarious. Definitely worth checking out for more laughs if you get a chance.

I NEED YOUR HELP.

2012-01-12T19:51:00.011-05:00

If you've been following my foray into the gaming industry on the world wide web for a while now- whether that may be on Twitter, Facebook, or right here- here's your chance to help a sister out!

Nominate me for a Shorty Award in #gaming by clicking here or simply the graphic below.

You can also track my current progress using : shortyawards.com/alibakes
Thanks kindly for the support!

Setting goals; my half year, half marathon plan.

2012-01-11T19:36:00.026-05:00

Over the course of the past year I've really taken a liking to running. This has inspired me to set some pretty hefty goals for 2012, including one next September that will push my limits beyond what I would have imagined possible a few years ago.

My quest into a series of marathon runs begins with the Finally Spring 5k Manchester Run on March 24th of this year. Continuing training up through April, and depending on my school schedule I'll be looking to take a stab at the Hartford 10k Marathon April 14th.

This, all leading up to my graduation in May, should have me up to speed and ready to address my final and most exciting goal, the Los Angeles Half Marathon, which, I figure, by October 28th, I'll be within a good radius of given plethora of jobs I'm interested in located nearby.

So excited to get started with this. Here's to wishful thinking, making moves, and a happy and healthy 2012. Bring it on baby!

Meme of the week.. and Adam Jensen's favorite dance.

2011-12-13T14:20:00.007-05:00

Within the course of this week, it has come to my attention that many of my friends and family do not understand the inner-workings of the internet. The prospect of memes, the constant threat of trolls, the undeniable importance of posting FIRST on a comments thread; these things may seem like second nature to you and I, but to many, when I speak of such things it's that of a foreign language. Therefore, I have decided, that not only will I be updating my blog more often with the easter eggs that said internet has to offer, but I will also attempt to decode them for those who, for lack of a better word, are rick-roll inept.

I have a new favorite website as of a few days ago: procatinator.com. I hope you've seen it.

The site uses a randomizing database to compile a playlist of tunes that ranges from ridiculous 80s hits to funny internet-recognizable memes, pairing them with a series of classic and never been seen before animated cat gif images.. reminding me just how the internet always manages to find a way to redeem itself amongst the crapload of filth it delivers to me on a big truck, series of tubes, etc etc. Personally, I enjoy leaving it on in the background while I'm working in the photography lab. The combination of absoludacris songs and new cat every 2 to 3 minutes does quite the opposite of what the site name suggests, and typically manages to put a shit-eating grin on my face for hours at a time.

This week is also brought to you in part by the Safety Dance. I've tweeted this link several times on Twitter and Facebook already; however given the context, and me finally completing Deus Ex: Human Revolution a few days ago - I find it relevant to your interests (yes you, internet).

On the subject of Deus Ex: Human Revolution

2011-12-08T17:02:00.035-05:00

Despite the fact that it's the worst time of first semester, I'm in a good mood. I blame this on several things. In an attempt to finish the game before the beginning of winter break (so I can play Skyrim), I have taken the initiative to stay well ahead of the curve on my school work, finishing my final projects, photography assignments and prepping my finals with enough time to come home and play some Deus Ex every night. It's a steamy affair if I may say so myself.. Although, it also doesn't hurt that I've been in the Christmas spirit lately, and I should also mention, that a Pinkberry frozen yogurt spot just recently opened up a town over, so consequently that may have something to do with it as well..

Never the less, this game is really great. To be honest it took me awhile to get into it. And to be fair, any game that lets me rearrange my weapons in a suitcase has a habit of grabbing my OCD by the hairs and never letting go. I would be lying if I said I didn't spend the first several hours thumbing back and forth throughout the menu screens for this reason alone:

Blips in the road aside, the imagery is fantastic. I'm a huge fan of the sci-fi futuristic era. For those of you unfamiliar with Deus Ex, Human Revolution comes as a prequel to the original, released on PC in 2000 and is the third game to be released as part of the series by Eidos.

In the game you play as Adam Jensen; the year, 2027. Politics involving human cybernetic enhancement drive a storyline that twists and turns depending on the interactions you have with those around you. Adam, is new to the world of augmentation himself, after a terrorist attack on Sarif Industries, a firm specializing in the biotechnology of humans, leaves him mortally wounded. Reborn with the cybernetic upgrades that saved his life, the game allows ample specializations and focuses that Jensen can choose from, and your choice to either use lethal force, or be a sneaky son of a B will also have an affect on the way the story plays out.

I wouldn't want to give away too much yet, seeing as I still have about 20% remaining in the story to complete. However, I will say that I am particularly pleased that I decided to complete a lot of the side missions and stories, so for those of you who haven't played it yet, and are thinking about it, I would indeed advise you to take your time. One of the great things about this game is that you can play it any way you want; freedom of choice is everything, but the backstories add context, and personally for me, I have found that they have enriched the overall experience.

[SPOILER ALERT]

During a previous side mission, I had the opportunity to help out Sarif helicopter pilot, Faridah Malik, clean up a sticky situation involving the murder of her best friend in Shanghai This added quite a bit of depth to the relationship between the two characters, and so later on, against all odds, I couldn't see the justification in letting her die upon returning to Heng Sha, when the aircraft gets shot down by Belltower, despite the massive ambush. Tyler, who also just recently played the game, wasn't aware that this was an option.

This conversation alone had me in stitches for a good 10 minutes. ^__^ The LOLs are still palpable. BAH, I'm rambling, I think it's time I returned to the digital lab and got some printing done so I can play s'more..

Speaking of which, my photography work is coming along nicely this semester. With our final critique of this term coming up quickly, despite the massive pile of negatives that I need to scan today, I should have quite a bit of photos up on my Flickr account within the next month or so. /dance

This reminds me, with Alice: Madness Returns under my belt, I couldn't help but change up my iPhone lockscreen and homescreens recently. Perhaps you will appreciate it as much as I did:
___

Temporary Haitus is Temporary

2011-11-29T00:42:00.035-05:00

In case you haven't noticed by my lack of posts, school is trying to kill me.

It's been a rough few months kicking off my senior year, which started with the loss of my car in a flash flood. You read that right. New England was quickly becoming a sea of despair when I returned home from Los Angeles this summer.

With graduation coming up I'm more determined than ever to get this show on the road. I'll be getting my BFA in Photography this May so a lot of the year has been spent preparing my senior thesis. I also a final photography show coming up in April, so that's always something. I'll have to post up more of my work as it nears.

Additionally, within the past month I've restarted work at GameStop, now that I have a temporary whip to facilitate the process of arrival. Despite being a retail job, I really do enjoy being able to yammer with random people about videogames on a tri-weekly basis. Keeps me alive, fills me glee, etc etc. It's been one of the few things that have restored my sanity amongst the cavalcade of papers, critiques and presentations that have been running me into the ground post-sickness and Connecticut power outages. But I digress with such murky uncharacteristically depressive, sullen news.

NYCC goodness. && the crazy November snowstorm that hit CT

On the gaming front I did manage to finish up American McGee's Alice: Madness Returns. And I must say, it was quite an enjoyable journey. Currently I find myself entrenched in Deus Ex: Human Revolution, or as I like to call it Deu Sex. Adam Jensen is the coolest old dude ever, despite that time I punched through a wall only to realize I apparently can't survive a 5 ft drop without a particular augment. I DIDN'T ASK FOR THIS.

With first semester coming to a rapid close, and winter break coming up I'm definitely planning some epic Skyrim hibernation for my future. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't really looking forward to that - binary code snuggie and Twink unicorn pillow pet are set and at the ready (I clearly have no shame at all what-so-ever)!

OH HAI sessy Halo 3 controller I picked up from a trade at work. xD Best combo, evar.

Also random- Guild Wars 2, I'm looking at you. Y U NO OUT YET? I think it's because the world is preparing itself for the day I buy a new PC. *schwing schwing*

/endtirade

What if Pokéballs were real?

2011-11-10T18:43:00.003-05:00

The other day I was pondering life as a video game, as I typically do, and this got me thinking. What if we had pokeballs in real life? How would we use them to store objects, pets, people? Then I made a short movie about it.

NOW YOU KNOW.

Do want.

2011-07-27T14:04:00.010-04:00

You know how every now and then something comes along that you feel as though you really NEED but have absolutely no reason for having? This is one of those moments. I would love to justify several reasons as to why I should own the new Star Wars Limited Edition Console, but realistically, I cannot (aside from the fact that it's pretty and I want to rub my face on it).

This brilliantly designed system comes bundled with a Kinect, which I do not currently own, YET, and was inspired by R2-D2 and C-3PO. The console also comes with a 320 GB Hard Drive built in; that's the largest 360 hard drive available to date baby (AND MORE OF A REASON WHY I NEED IT). But for a whopping $450 smackaroos, is this smexy collector's item worth it?

Put it in your ears.

2011-07-25T15:46:00.009-04:00

I've recently teamed up with the likes of Kumail Nanjiani under Chris Hardwick's "Nerdist Industries" banner to form *cue epic music* The Indoors Kids Podcast! We have a blast talking to our guests about videogames and what they mean to us- all while managing to make you crap your pants. It's been a rip-roaring good time. Check it out, rate, and review it here on iTunes! Then go and comment and let us know what you think here on the Nerdist website. But srsly, put it in your ears already.

ENCHANTMENT!

2011-07-20T19:47:00.032-04:00

California, where do I begin? For the past two months have been nothing short of stupendous. I've been out on the west coast interning at G4 (in part thanks to you guys and my bake sale!). So far I love it here; the weather, the food, the people. There's no doubt in my mind that I'll make my way back to some part of Cali when I graduate. As far as what I'll be doing? That's up in the air as of right now, and you know what? I'm perfectly okay with that. I just know that I want to play a part in the gaming industry. It would be great to put my television production skills to use, however, when I first got my feet wet at PAX Prime of last year interning with the Frag Dolls, I felt a sense of belonging- that I was home amongst those who make up the amazing community that is gaming.

I've been given some pretty cool opportunities since I've been here. Most of which were things I had only dreamed of two years ago when I made the commitment to follow through with my life goals. For one, I got to attend my first E3 this summer, which was pretty spectacular. I live-tweeted the entire Microsoft Press Event as well as Sony, although, this shouldn't surprise any of you who know me.

I even got to hip-thrust a sexy vehicle at the Forza Motorsport E3 party. How very appropriate!

At the Sony Press Event they had the most unearthly and amazing cupcakes I think I've ever laid my eyes on.. well, until a few days ago when I walked by Magnolia Bakery, but that's another story all together. Let's just say the one I ate was pretty ri-goddamn-diciously yummy. Why you ask? It was bacon infused. Yes. You read that right.

DID I MENTION THE FOOD OUT HERE IS BALLIN' FANTASTIC? Maybe I did, however let me reiterate that for you. It's heavenly. If the food out here had a page on Facebook, I would like it. In fact, I'm gonna go double check that.. you know, I'm not even sure I ever realized just how much I enjoy food until I moved here. You get my point, perhaps, not enough, but I digress.

Within the past few weeks I've had my first ever Ethiopian meal, all you can eat Korean BBQ, Tofu House, kickass Indian, sushi (which you should know is always a good time), a barrage of food trucks- including Kogi BBQ (GOOGLE THAT), as well as my new favorite obsession, a tasty morsel I like to call by it's name of endearment, froyo. That's frozen yogurt for you kids who are abbreviation debilitated.

I've had just about every flavor of frozen yogurt there is to offer and I've made it my mission to seek out just about froyo hotspot in the area, topping off each location with a film mugshot- proof that I came, I conquered, and I ate a crapton of froyo. I'll be sure to post those up on my Flickr once I get back to the photo laboratory. Muhahaha. Meanwhile, here's a picture of one of my most recent masterpieces.

With about a month left to go, I still have a bunch of sites I'd like to see, goals I have yet to accomplish, as well as times to be had in the presence of good people. With both San Diego Comic Con as well as MLG Anaheim right around the corner there's no telling what's next for me. However I have a hinch that it will be EGGGCEELLLEENTT. *pets a cat and laughs maniacally*

Love you internet! xoxo HUGS.

Help me get to LA!

2011-04-01T13:54:00.036-04:00

Here's the link to the Facebook Event: Baker Sale - LA Fundraiser.

I'm currently holding a bake sale this weekend in hopes to raise funds for my LA trip to work at G4 this summer. For those of you who don't live close-by, you can still help make my dreams come true and donate (anything is so greatly appreciated). To give you an idea I'll be selling baked goods starting at a dollar each..

If the button above doesn't work you can also use this link: http://bit.ly/BakeToLA.

New Photo Series / PAX Approaching

2011-03-07T12:24:00.012-05:00

Things at school have been hectic lately with my double major. The workload is nuts but I've been pretty pleased with the way my photography is progressing. Here's a sneak peek at the set I've been working on this semester. The series illustrates the more impoverished areas of Hartford using long night exposures and encapsulating the desolation of the area.

In other news, PAX East is in 3 days and I'm really looking forward to it. I have some exciting news regarding new content as well as a new job that I can't wait to share with all of you so keep your eyes peeled.

Dead Space 2, Bulletstorm & THQ's Homefront

2011-01-31T15:37:00.004-05:00

Season kick off of STN AfterParty and Ali's Got Game. This week I cover Dead Space 2, Bulletstorm, as well as the Homefront THQ event. Check it out. All writing, gameplay footage and content creation is my own with exception of the THQ press footage.

Incase you missed it.. My Fable III review

2010-12-17T10:51:00.001-05:00

This segment originally aired 1/13/10 on STN AfterParty.

Semester 1 Photography

2010-12-15T21:29:00.006-05:00

Some of my semester 1 photography work is now posted on Flickr. Check it out if you get the chance. I'd love to hear what you think! Click here for my photostream!

First Ali's Got Game segment of the semester aired this Saturday!

2010-10-28T17:36:00.008-04:00

STN After Party is an entertainment show that airs on the UHart Hawks Television station. What actually began as a casual section of the show, Ali's Got Game has now become a weekly segment where I dish out gaming industry news, reviews as well as providing unique game play footage. All scripted content is also produced by yours truly. Check it out! My section begins at 7:50.

NYC Halo Reach Event photos are now up!

2010-10-01T11:00:00.003-04:00

PAX Prime 2010

2010-09-30T12:06:00.013-04:00

PAX is a convention, an experience that can only be described as indescribable. One word: amazeballs. It blows my mind to think that I worked it. It’s one thing to be surrounded by video game culture: demos of all your favorite games that haven’t even been released yet, people walking around in costumes, epic SWAG- but I think the most incredible thing about PAX has got to be the people. For the first time in my life, I felt like I was in my element: truly at home amongst other amazing women and men who all shared the same common interest and love for this industry.

As soon as I arrived in Seattle, I could feel the energy. While I was there, I had the pleasure of meeting of a few the amazing people who make up this business. Some of these people, I already had a fairly decent report with due to the marvelousness in social networking called Twitter, but meeting each one of you in person has been such a treat. If there’s anything in that I’ve learned, it is that each person, big or small, plays an important role in the community: everyone has something new, exciting, different to bring to the table, and it’s that general enthusiasm, spark, that truly brings everyone together at these events. When it all comes down to it, at the end of the day, business is business, but after attending my first PAX I can say that there is no other industry I’d rather work in.

Now, as an employee of GameStop, I consider myself fortunate enough to be able to work away while chatting about videogames for the majority of my shift: never gets old. My co-workers often catch my Star Wars references and Resident Evil 1 jokes, and like any other retail job, I don’t mind explaining how things work to a customer, recommending “a good third person shooter”, or entertaining them with my opinion as to why I think Fallout 3 was one of the best RPGs of all time. After attending PAX, it became clear to me that everywhere I turned, people ‘got me’. My nerdisms, love for internet memes, movie quotes- most of the things that people in the everyday world don’t even catch- all understood. There’s just so much awesomeness to go around, especially within the Frag Doll community. I remember a year ago when I met one of my best friends, Quinn, working at GameStop. I nearly had an aneurism- I was so excited that I had another girl to play games with! Now, here I am, part of an amazing sisterhood of women who are just like me. It really is incredible, and I feel lucky to know each and everyone of you!

As a Frag Doll Cadette, I got to demo Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood, Just Dance 2, and Kinect Motion Sports at the Ubisoft booth along with other PAX attendees. I also had some roam time as well, which included lots of running from booth to booth, collecting SWAG of course and playing games like Dead Space II, DUKE NUKEM FOREVER, Dragon Age II. It was a rush that I will never forget.

With my first PAX under my belt (+30 to stamina), I can promise you that this won’t be my last event. The future looks bright and I’m working hard at school this year towards some exciting internships this summer. I’m planning on attending NYCC in the upcoming few weeks as well so I’m certainly looking forward to that.

I must say though, that out of all of the things that I am particularly grateful for, I am most pleased with what this experience has done for my parent’s interest in my career. For the past 3 years, ever since I made a commitment to myself to work towards a profession that focuses primarily in entertainment and gaming, my parents have taken me everything but seriously. As a matter of fact, since my early high school years, my mother had a particular undying hatred for my love for PC games, seeing as she was so convinced that “playing video games won’t get you anywhere in life” (needless to say, I beg to differ). For the first time in my life, after years of trying to explain to my parents that this is a billion dollar industry and growing rapidly, seeing me put together my resume this summer, getting up and flying to Seattle for PAX on my own, working along the Frag Dolls -- This was the proof they needed to see to know that the conviction I have towards fulfilling my dream is real.

Though I haven’t had much time to update my blog this semester, there will be many more advances. I'm working on using my Flickr account to post all my event photos from PAX Prime and the NYCC Reach Event. So keep checking back I promise you will not be disappointed. It’s all happening right now.

I Pooped My Pants

2010-08-14T00:39:00.020-04:00

The Bioshock Infinite Trailer was released yesterday, and I, along with many others, squealed like a baby seal.

After watching this I had so many questions:

1.) A Bioshock game NOT underwater? What the eff?
Until now, we've grown to known the Bioshock games as an underwater franchise. Although the change isn't all too sudden, given where they left us at the end of the last game, I think it will be interesting to see what will be carried over from the first two titles.

2.) Will there be little sisters?
I certainly hope so, because some of the things they say are so darned cute, and after the chapter where we got a chance to see the world through their eyes in Bioshock 2, it would be great to observe them once again in another aspect. At the very least I hope they maintain the good vs. evil element - for example, where your achievements and game ending were directly affected by choosing to save or harvest the sisters.

3.) Is it just me, or do 2K Games hate land?
After the death of Andrew Ryan I'm not sure about how I feel about all this "anti-land" business. He was the mastermind. Rapture was his world; his vision! Srsly? Floating in the air? What's next? A game that takes place in the core of a volcano? Plateaus - that's where it's at.

Now, I enjoyed Bioshock 2 but in my opinion it wasn't really a stand alone title. If anything it only added to the back story of the first game. So in that sense it's nice to see that they're trying to steer the franchise in a different direction, and reinvent it a little. Man, I remember when the first Bioshock trailer was released. I had it bookmarked and I watched it 3 to 4 times every week until the day it came out. *swoon*

Alright, I'm ready for bedtime Mr. B.

Alan Wake DLC "The Signal" - My Review

2010-08-08T14:43:00.005-04:00

Trying to decide whether or not to purchase the Alan Wake DLC "The Signal"? Not to worry, I've got you covered with some gameplay footage as well as an in depth review.

What games or add ons would you like to see me review next? Leave me your feedback in the comments below!

Don't browse the XBL Marketplace when you're tired.

2010-07-26T01:00:00.014-04:00

Yesterday, whilst sitting in The Batcave waiting for my friend to call, trying desperately to stay awake after two days of minimal sleep I decided to browse the Xbox Live Marketplace. With 400 Microsoft Points in the bank I came to the conclusion that I needed to know how much the Jill Valentine gettup cost, because I wanted it.

Every now I and then when I get a chance, I like to see what's new in the Game Styles section.. but this time it was different. I was determined to get the Jill Valentine outfit. After locating it, I realized I had just enough. It was 320 MS Points. I was good to go. But, like a preteen at an Abercrombie store, I kept switching back and forth between outfits, previewing to see what it would look like.. Big mistake.

In my lack of alertness, I went to the beginning of the Resident Evil 5 merch section and hit the back button, which for some reason brought me to a payment screen. I quickly hit the back button again, only to realize that I had been pressing the A button and that I had now spent 240 of my Microsoft Points, on a fucking crank. A CRANK! What the hell am I going to do with a crank Microsoft? And now I don't even have enough for the stupid outfit!

So kids, the lesson of the day is don't consider buying things when you're tired, drunk, or incoherent in any way. You might end up with... A CRANK.

New Wii, Dead Space, and site update.

2010-07-15T21:57:00.017-04:00

Hey all, hope everyone is having a killer summer. Things have been crazy this past month and I'm quite happy to announce that I will be giving the website a makeover sometime in the next few weeks. I am also in the process of writing and producing several YouTube videos, which I plan to post simultaneously.

In other news, I just recently got a Wii, in black! And, in a dire attempt to deplete my college savings (not really), I'm already on the hunt to collect all of the Resident Evil games on the GameCube.. as well as a few of the Mario titles, though I must say I am quite disappointed that they are so gosh darn expensive! I did manage to pick up the Metroid Prime Trilogy though, as well as some Wii guns for when I get House of the Dead: Overkill. Duel wield.. it's gonna be EPIC.

If you follow me on twitter you might have noticed that I'm currently balls deep into Dead Space. Now, let me tell you something, a secret if you will.. I don't normally scare easily. Bioshock, Resident Evil.. they didn't do it for me in the scare department. Creepy? Yes, of course, but they lacked the "jump up in fright and play it off like you're about to dance" factor. This game- it does wonderful things to my brain, while evoking the warm fuzzy memories I still have from playing DOOM. Also, I can definitely say that being an Event Horizon fan makes it hard for me not to enjoy myself. I'm not too far into it yet (I just encountered mutant babies.. which, might I add, WAS AWESOME) so I'm sure I'll have more to add once I get further in and beat it.. which is probably never, because I decided to play it on hard my first time. Go big or go home?

I'm also taking summer courses at the moment, which, normally would be kind of lame. However, considering we're half way through the term and I've already convinced my teacher to let us watch Spaceballs, I'd say it's going pretty good so far.

LONG LIVE SUMMER!

Ninja Cat owns your soul.

2010-07-11T00:54:00.004-04:00

A co-worker showed this video to me at work today. I couldn't keep it to myself.. It's just too damn amazing.

It whispers sweet sweet nothings to me.

2010-07-09T15:29:00.025-04:00

Yesterday was the best day ever. I traded in my old Arcade 360 system for the sleek new Xbox 360, which I had preordered. Considering I was pushing the two year mark with my Arcade I think I made a good investment. It really is such a beautiful piece of technology. I love how quiet it is, and the sexy noises it makes when I turn it on or eject a disc. That sounded dirty didn't it? Crap.

Carpe Diem

2010-07-05T17:11:00.010-04:00

Find something that motivates you and push yourself to the limit. Challenge yourself. That which doesn't kill you will only make you stronger. Nothing is predetermined. We all have the ability to create our own fate.

1Up's Win a Trip to E3 2010 Contest

2010-06-30T15:00:00.010-04:00

So I may not have won a trip to E3 this year, but I did receive honorable mention, as well as Twitter recognition for David Jaffe and Cliff Bleszinski. Here's the entry, which also offers a bit of my background as well as my love for video games as a child: Why I'm Your Girl for E3 2010.

Fallout 3 Achievements: Perfected!

2010-06-11T18:51:00.003-04:00

Dragon Age Checklist

2010-04-07T06:44:00.012-04:00

In case you weren't already aware, BioWare managed to achieve excellence yet again when they released Dragon Age Orgins earlier this year. As far as old school hack and slash RPGs go, Dragon Age is as good as it gets. With an ample amount of character customization, great depth of both story and character backgrounds and all around fun and excitable game play that both hardcore and casual gamers can appreciate, the game has just about everything.

After devoting a few days of my life to the game, I've discovered secrets that will help you perfect your game play without wasting countless hours of your precious time, although I highly suggest that you do anyway..

1. Almost always try and see if you can make a deal with a demon.
Unlike Fable 2, choosing to be evil in Dragon Age: Origins doesn't necessarily paint you as a baby killing, produce stealing villain, and for those of you who like looking fresh, it does not alter your appearance either. Not only is the reward typically awesome, but most of the time, if your Coercion is high enough, you can lie your way out of the deal after the payoff. WIN!

2. Blood magic is the shit.
Despite what ever your "moral" party members will try and have you believe, blood magic is the shit. Ever wonder why your parents would always tell you not to play with fire? I'll tell you why: because it's awesome. Sure you can play with fire as a mage in the game, but this is the big leagues, and sacrifices must be made. Trust me when I say you won't regret it. Blood magic spells pack a powerful punch. So next time Wynne tries to give you an old woman's lesson in "what's good and bad", remember, you're the one killing 90% of the enemies you come across with a single spell.

3. Feisty English accents are the best.
Ah yes, nothing beats a English accent, and chances are you don't even need to play Dragon Age to figure this one out. Just about everyone in this game has some sort of accent, but Alistair and Morrigan's take the cake. Yeah, so she might say a few things that are questionable, and her way of thinking is a bit, jarring, but if you're guy, you probably think Morrigan is the bomb. Why? It's the accent. Yeah, sure her grungy attire with just enough cleavage is probably enjoyable, but it's that all around feisty attitude and killer accent that's got you second guessing your well thought out decisions. And when it comes to the ladies, well, don't even get me started with Alistair. So he may be a little prudish, but we think it's cute. With just a tad of innocence, hunky appearance and cheesy pick up lines, all topped off with a hot accent, it's no surprise that Bioware came out with an I Love Alistair shirt.

4. Your ability to sleep around will be rewarded.
If you know anything about me you probably know that I love achievements. Well, in this game, unlike in real life, being a sloregoth will win you some gamer points/trophies. Take advantage of this. It's fairly easy to do. Just play your cards right, and you can win over just about any of your companions. Lucky for you, Leliana and Zevran swing both ways. The only real issue if you're trying to perfect your achievements in the game is trying to get with Morrigan or Alistair, considering that they are both straight and the only way you will be able to achieve this is by making an opposite sex character.

That about raps it up, for now at least. Seeing as I've just gotten around to playing the expansion, Dragon Age: Awakening, keep a look out for most tips and tricks on here. ;)

Activision Gets Served - My 'Kneel Before Pod' Debut!

2010-03-16T14:38:00.002-04:00

For many of you who are probably unaware, I made my debut on Kneel Before Pod this Sunday as Carl, Ryan and I talked about Activision/Infinity Ward and ultimately how it's affecting the Call of Duty franchise. Check it out here.

My Pokemans. Let me show you them.

2010-03-16T13:05:00.004-04:00

Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver were released for the Nintendo DS this Sunday, March 14th, and of course I had to have it. Although I'll never be as excited as I was in middle school about Pokemon I've gotta say this game is pretty cool. The game comes with a little Pokeball clip on called a Pokewalker. It counts your steps and you can use it to take your Pokemon for walks when you're on the go. You are also able find items and catch other Pokemon when you're out on your walk. Cute!

My only complaint about the games is that they still lack the character customization that I crave from RPGs. Why can't my Pokemon trainer be blonde Nintendo? Why?! Most people would rather make their own character than choose between the prudish Ethan and Lyra. Ick.

One of the coolest things about the game is that all 493 Pokémon in are capable of following the main character, similar to Pikachu in Pokemon Yellow if you recall. You can interact with the first Pokemon in your team by hitting A and every now and then they will do a little dance for you if you make them happy enough. Shininess is also retainable and shows up as well so get your Action Replays ready folks!

Unfortunately, I just don't have the time I used to to devote my time to Pokemans, but as a fan of the Pokemon franchise I can definitely say that the new line of original Pokemon games that have been rereleased for the DS have come a long way, and I can only hope that by the time I have a kid they're still coming out with new content and titles.

Incase you missed it...

2010-03-15T00:02:00.000-04:00

Food Inc.

2010-03-08T22:06:00.003-05:00

Watching Food Inc with my roommate. This movie is ridiculous. It's amazing how much food companies are keeping from us. Did you know that a pound of broccoli is more expensive than a double cheeseburger? AND that 1 in 3 children born after 2000 will be diagnosed with an early onset of diabetes? WTF. This is so disturbing.

I haz something to say.

2010-03-08T14:47:00.001-05:00

First blogger post. Very exciting. Doing laundry and trying to figure out how to use the interface, this should be quite interesting..
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And the layout is done. It's only temporary as I will be working on a nicer one during spring break. ;)